No comments about Houses of the National Trust.

4 comments about The Figure.

1. This book was very easy to understand and follow. A great book to learn how to draw figures!



2. One of my favorite figure books(!)- If you've ever seen the bestselling How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way, a major teaching that stands out is its emphasis on spheres, cubes, and cylinders when learning to draw anything & everything, including the human figure. Well this is *exactly* what Walt Reed's The Figure is essentially all about. The teachings here were developed in & represent the Famous Artists School, and the figure basics here are really excellent yet standard fare. I've even seen some of these principles repeated by recent Japanese animation & comicbook instructionals. Yes, these principles are definitely great; it's the style & way these principles are communicated that makes this book seem a little bit dated. Reed's instruction here is presented with a combination of work by various artists and black & white photos of nude models, giving this entire effort a very mixed-media effect in its overall design. It was created in 1976, and while the photos are generally well done, the models here look very much to be from that time, and maybe even earlier. Also included: drawings, etchings, paintings & sculptures; all by various masters in the history of western art. Add to this the book's physical dimensions- 9" x 12" x 1/2"- and this is really not a simple looking how-to-draw type book. Yet the teaching here really *is* simple & effective! It's basically about building the figure with cylinders, although spheres & cubes are depicted as well. My favorite aspect of the book is Reed's own drawings & instruction, which demostrates the simplified figure accompanied by a wealth of helpful hints, tips & tricks. These instructions are also shown along with the photos of models to help reinforce principles by drawing from life. Hands & faces get special attention. We even get a little on basic light & shade and a section on figures in action! Usually, it's books that present a unified look & style, like the ones by Bridgman and Hogarth, that tend to look a little more timeless in my personal opinion. But Walt Reed's The Figure is fantastic in its actual *effect*, and that's really, basically the most important thing. It's a worthwhile book to add to anyone's collection! P.S. Parts of this book were included in an 8-1/2" x 11" x 3/8" compilation entitled Basic Figure Drawing Techniques, edited by Greg Albert. This compilation is printed on better quality paper, and includes material from 5 current books. In my opinion Reed's contribution is the best. Also- Another great, 5-star work for beginners: Jack Hamm's excellent Drawing the Head and Figure. Highly recommended!



3. When I review DRAWING books, the first question I ask is, "Is this for BEGINNERS?" Because I feel an obligation to the book buyer to provide good information, and also to prevent a beginning student from being discouraged, and feeling that they are defective, or ....just cannot get it.
   
   It does not seem to occur to the buyer that many authors just cannot teach. Instinct seems to suggest that that if book gets published, it must contain credible instruction by someone who knows how to teach, and everyone seems to desire to cash in on the Big Bucks market of HOW-TO-DRAW. It may seem surprising that this is just not so. Perhaps as many as half of all drawing books are not very good for beginners. I know. I've gotten familiar with most of the books on the market, and I know what I'm looking for in good instruction.
   
   
   I've purchased over 25 drawing books from Amazon.com, and own the most popular titles of the HOW-TO-DRAW genre. Walt Reed's "The Figure" rates in my top four choices.
   
   It is not "wordy" and "overly intellectual" nor does it presume to teach ZEN or YOGA, or "Drawing on the Artist in your Brain". This book sticks to the subject and it is darn good.
   
   It is chock full of illustrations, and does not throw you to the wolves; but takes you step-by-step through proportion, basic shapes, and finally, detailed drawing. Of the books using the classical (best) approach to drawing, I rate "The Figure" one of the top five books on figure drawing. The price is "right" too. This book doesn't even cost twenty bucks!



4. I have used this book for about a week and am totally impressed with the results. Before, I did not like to draw hands or faces or lips, now, I find them amazing and a great adventure to draw. I would recommend this book to any one who has never drawn the human figure in a proper way, it's a great way to learning how to. I would like to thank Walt reed for being such a good person as to allow us to know what he knows and sharing all his knowledge. Learning how to draw the human figure is not scary as I thought, I now have discovered a new world of excitement and fun through the use of a simple pencil and paper. Oliver Gonzalez.

4 comments about Mexicasa: The Enchanting Inns and Haciendas of Mexico.

1. I can't say enough about the quality of the pictures in this book. Startling and brilliant color. Nice writeups about the inns and haciendas. For anyone traveling to Mexico and looking for unique and historical places to stay, this would be a great book to read before the trip. Highly recommend.



2. You can almost feel the colours and shapes, taste the food and smell the flowers in this lavishly illustrated book on Mexican Haciendas and Hotels. I can see why allot of the people that started these Inns sold everything they had and moved to Mexico to start a new life. This book will be an inspiration to architects and would also make a great coffee table book. Be careful to check the binding when you get it. The glue on mine all fell off in chunks after the first read!



3. This book is good, maybe even great, but still can't compare to Melba Levick and Masako Takahashi's AWESOME "Mexicolor". Masako's other book, "Mexican Tiles" comes close, and still edges out "Mexicasa" a little bit as well, so when all is said and done I think I just have to chalk it up to Masako's EVIDENT love and appreciation for the unfathomable beauty of things Mexican. Melba Levick seems to me to see things more from the outside looking in, and without so much PASSION, kind of like a more disinterested spectator than a participant, but that could just be my opinion.

   That said, this book is is REALLY NICE. I DO really like it and I highly recommend it- especially if you already own and really liked "Mexicolor" and "Mexican Tiles". Or if you aren't so much into artesanias and Mexican interior design, but are more of an armchair traveler or are interested in actual historic hotels and haciendas.




4. What Gina Hyams and Melba Levick have created here is a wonderful compilation of photos of 21 of Mexico's most spectacular and beautiful inns and bed & breakfast places.
   Melba Levick must have had a ball taking these shots. There's hardly a picture that isn't beautiful in its own right - and there must be at least 300 of them. For this observer, the Mexican talent for blending and matching and mixing colors is the highlight of page after page. We see gardens and patios and pool areas and bedroom and dining areas and a host of living spaces where the eye is simply enchanted by the way the owners of these homes have decorated their various spaces. My own personal favorite is, of all things, a bathroom wall composed of talavera tiles where almost no two tiles on the wall match each other.
   All the houses are fully described by Gina Hyams and in most cases she gives us anecdotes and stories about how the various places came about. Thus, for instance, in Hacienda Katanchel in the Yucatan,we read that the present owners discovered the place in 1996. It had been abandoned for 35 years and originally dated back to the 17th century. So what they acquired were 740 acres of dense jungle in which were buried many crumbling buildings with trees growing through walls and ceilings. They gradually cleared the mess away and started building and renovating in a blend of Mexican, Mayan and Spanish styles. And you should see the place now.
   On a less ambitious scale, we read about Mesón Sacristia de la Compañia in Puebla. This began as a family-run antique store which the owners turned into a restaurant and then an inn. It has one extra little twist for people who stay there - everything in the place is for sale. The owners are continually having to replace dishes and furniture.
   And so the stories go... Pick up a copy and give your coffee table a treat.

1 comments about Taunton's Deck & Patio Idea Book.

1. This book has some good designs, but not what I was expecting. I am looking to build a new deck (my first), and want ideas... This book had some fancy ideas, but not too many practical ideas... So if you are looking at a book like this, you are most likely going to pay someone else to do the job... There is nothing wrong with that though.... ;)

4 comments about Painter’s Quick Reference - Trees & Foliage (Painter's Quick Reference).

1. This is a very good book if you are interested in painting landscapes. One of the first things that I learned from my treacher is that there are no generic trees.



2. the techniques described are not detailed enough for my taste -
   i prefer a more "photo-like" painting method



3. This book is an excellent reference book for painting trees. It is very helpful.



4. Excellent -- was shipped in mint condition and promptly. This books throughly illustrates the methods and means of painting foliage and trees. Great book!

5 comments about Building a Straw Bale House: The Red Feather Construction Handbook.

1. Frankly, I like this book, despite my 2-star rating of it. It has some excellent information in it as well as excellent photos, and it is well laid out. However, it is intended for very specific and limited uses, which are not really disclosed in the product description. So, read on to learn what I had to discover about its limitations through trial and error:
   
   This is NOT a book on the theory and history of straw bale construction. It spends very little, if any, time outlining the different styles of bale construction, nor the variety of techniques and details that have been tried over the years, nor the many factors - environmental, structural, practical - affecting a particular construction project that might make the builder choose one technique or detail over another. If you are a new owner/builder at the conceptual stage, trying to decide if a bale house is right for you, or how exactly to build the bale house that is best for you, this is NOT the book you want.
   
   This book focuses on one philosophy of design only. It is a guide, not on how to build a bale house, but on how to build one specific bale house. What I find troubling is that it does not even explain, in most cases, why the methods being described were chosen. If you already know a good deal about bale construction, you will quickly read between the lines to see why the authors consider their chosen techniques most suitable for their situation - I did, and quickly determined that little in the book was applicable to my own situation. Ok, fair enough. But, if you do not already understand the basics of straw bale architecture, I can easily imagine the reader following this book down what might well be the wrong path for his or her own project and, at best, wasting a lot of time in the design stage considering inappropriate techniques. At worst, the reader could end up making some very poor and costly choices without realizing why they are poor.
   
   So, what is this book good for? It presents a straight-forward, step-by-step guide to project planning for a particular type of builder attempting a particular type of project. It does not present enough technical details or drawings to be a comprehensive construction manual (what book does?), so it will not take the place of preparing blueprints or having them prepared for you. But, it is nonetheless an excellent place to start IF AND ONLY IF you are...
   
   1) ...Poor, or otherwise interested in building a small, simple, budget-oriented house for a single family. Don't get me wrong: the house this book describes is perfectly sound, perfectly livable, and should last longer than most conventional houses, but it is definitely "no-frills." Frankly, all Americans should be focusing on more modest, economical, and sustainable housing, regardless of income level. Be that as it may, if you are wanting something bigger - multiple stories, luxury oriented, more architecturally unique - you will not find it here.
   
   2) ...Part of a large community or very large family interested in helping you build this house quickly through a massive and intensive volunteer effort. If your access to volunteer resources is more modest and your construction schedule, therefore, more relaxed, you could well run into serious problems trying to follow the path laid out in this book. If you plan on hiring only professionals to build your house for you, well, you probably shouldn't build a bale house in the first place, but at the least you will need to find different books.
   
   3) ...West of the Mississippi and building in a very dry environment. All throughout this book you will find details - 3 string bales, metal rebar inserted into the bales, moderately sized roof overhangs, cement-based plaster with ground-to-ceiling stucco mesh - that are either unique to the West or generally appropriate to a desert or prairie climate. For builders in other areas, most of this book likely does not apply to you.
   
   4) ...Interested in a load-bearing straw bale design. See my note on rebar, cement plaster, and stucco mesh above. There is also much in the book on full structural window and door bucks as well as building a roof-bearing-assembly top plate. Of course, there is nothing wrong with load-bearing bale walls, but in many parts of the country they are no longer the most widely-accepted design solution.



2. I found this book to be very helpful with pictures and building concepts easy to understand by the layman. The chapters are well layed out on each step of the building process and gives a lot of good tips both in dealing with the building code requirements and common sense ideas to building a straw bale house. While the houses in this book are architectually simple, a rectangle shape, the ideas can be use in more complex designs.



3. This was really a good book and I would recommend it very much.



4. This book gives an over view of the process to build a home using straw bale construction that is used by the Red Feather Development Group. Modeled after Habitat for Humanity they help tribal members living on Indian reservations achieve home ownership. The book takes you through the building process with many photos and diagrams. There is also pictures and discriptions of straw bale homes that are still lived in after 80 years, showing that sustainable housing is not a passing fad.



5. I first became aware of straw base houses when I visited friends who had built one high in the Colorado rockies. In spite of the bad winters in that location, they reported that they very rarely used any heating beyond opening the drapes on the south facing windows. I don't know what the R-value of a bale of straw might be, but it is high.
   
   They also reported that in the few years they had lived there they had had virtually no maintenance. I had imagined little cracks in the exterior covering and furry little critters living in the walls. But they reported that nothing like this had occurred.
   
   This book is put out by the Red Feather Development Group. They are a non-profit group chartered to provide low cost but efficient housing on indian reservations. They have been developing straw bale contruction for houses over many years, many buildings.
   
   This handbook is not exactly a complete primer on building a straw bale house, to me it is an idea book. There's not much here, for instance on plumbing, heating, wiring and so on. Fair enough, those things are much the same for any house, and well understood by architects and contractors. What this book does is talk about building the house itself, the wall structure, supporting the roof, the things that are unique to building with Straw Bales. There are lots of pictures, illustrating lots of points that you wouldn't think of unless you had been there and done that.
   
   Highly recommended!

5 comments about Prefab.

1. I am using PREFAB to help me define differences in prefabrication techniques and this book didn't really help me. There is even a disclaimer attached to the book that states, "We admit to playing fast and loose with the concept of prefabrication here. Many of the houses presented in this book are not prefabricated in the strictest sense of the word. Not all were factory built and assembled. Some houses were built with prefabricated materials like aluminum siding." This gives some illegitimacy to the book. If a building featured in this book has aluminum siding as the only prefabricated piece, then brick suburban homes should be featured as well - at least for consistency.
   
   Saying that aluminum siding is prefab is like saying bricks or CMUs or door frames or sunscreens are all prefab as well. I personally think this statement is untrue. These items are merely standardized pieces to the puzzle - sunscreens put together do not make a building. Prefab is the process of assembling all these things into volumetric modules or panels (SIPs) offsite in a factory.
   
   I do however think the introduction and history were quite informative. Pretty pictures too.



2. The book is wel written and very beautifully photographed. The history is interesting, but would have liked to see more current info.



3. In PREFAB, author Allison Arieff presents an interesting overview of "prefabricated" buildings, past, present, and future. Yet, I would not recommend this book to average modular home consumers, as many of the projects described in PREFAB are highly customized, somewhat eccentric, and generally impractical for those looking to save time and money by utilizing prefab construction as opposed to regular, stick-built construction. Some of the buildings aren't even single-family dwellings, but apartment buildings. Nonetheless, PREFAB is a helpful resource for those who'd like to learn more about the history of prefabricated buildings, as well as the current state of affairs, and in which unusual directions the industry will be headed in the future.
   
   Arieff begins PREFAB with a lengthy (29-page) discussion of the history of prefabricated homes, starting with panelized wood homes in England and the US in 1624, through the American mobile home boom after WWII, and ending with the current state of the industry. The next three sections of the book are devoted to various modern prefab projects. The first, titled "Production," presents "a diverse group of well-designed houses and multi-family dwellings that are either in production, or poised to be." Of the three groups, "Production" is perhaps most relevant to the average consumer; it illustrates the sheer diversity of prefab homes that are available around the world. It also reflects how beautiful prefab homes can be, both inside and out. Next up is "Custom," an eclectic mix of "unique homes by architects less interested in the mass production of houses than in the aesthetic, environmental, and economic benefits of prefabrication." The buildings in this section are stunning - the Penthouse at Albert Court, which sells for $4 to $5 million, is my favorite. Finally, "Concept" features the strangest buildings of the bunch. According the Arieff, the concept buildings represent "a diverse array of virtual and conceptual prefab projects that employ everything from websites to neoprene in order to create the next generation of prefabricated housing." Experimental to the extreme, these plans seem geared towards architects, artists, and other design/construction professionals.
   
   For the beginner, PREFAB is an interesting and engaging introduction to the history of prefabricated housing. As my knowledge of construction and architecture is limited, I can't say whether students or professionals will find PREFAB especially enlightening. I found the author's writing to be crisp and captivating, and I thought there was a good balance of pictures and text. I would definitely recommend PREFAB to newbies who would like to know more about prefab housing; yet, I would direct those looking for a consumer or how-to guide to go elsewhere. Overall, an interesting read, but probably not for everyone (for example, I can see how pros might want additional pictures, larger graphics, and more detailed floor/elevation plans, especially given the book's high price tag).
   
   - Kelly Garbato



4. ok, if you're looking for more of a coffee table book than a serious research source. arieff does provide a brief history of some selected prefabricated ventures, but the other 3/4 of the book is of more modern attempts, all of which are not described or displayed as thoroughly as i had hoped. most of the designs are also of doubtful marketability, and the pompous attitudes of some of the designers is off-putting. some pretty pictures, however.



5. Let me make a simple observation, people by these type of books for the pictures. After all, a picture is worth a thousand words right? But flipping through this book gave me the impression that the authors wanted to explain in words rather than with pictures. It was "blah, blah, blah, blah, blah" when a few more photos would have been much better. Why describe with words???
   
   I liked "Prefab Modern" by Jill Herbers better because it has more designs. It actually had many of the same designers in Prefab but with more pictures, less words, and a floor plan which really helps you to conceptualize the designs. Not only that but the book by Jill Herbers is cheaper too...

1 comments about Matisse: From Color to Architecture.

1. Primarily known for his luminous color paintings, the French artist Henri Matisse was also involved in designing stunningly beautiful stained glass windows and even ventured into the realm of architecture as well. Matisse: From Color To Architecture is a seminal work by Rene Percheron and Christian Brouder and the first to focus on these lesser known endeavors by one of France's most renowned painters. Offering an intimate portrait of the artist in work and life with a focus upon Matisse's work in his final years on the Chapel of the Rosary in Vence and the nursery school in his hometown of Le Cateayu-Cambresis (both of these buildings are located in the south of France), this 384 page compendium is enhanced with 396 illustrations (247 of which are in full color) and includes beautiful reproductions of Matisse's most famous paintings drawn from the collections of Centre Georges Pompidou, the Hermitage Museum, the Barnes Foundation, and the National Gallery of Art. These works are paired with documents and photographs culled from the archives of the Matisse estate. Included are first-hand accounts from the participants in the Vence and Le Cateau projects. Matisse: From Color To Architecture is an original and recommended contribution to personal, professional, academic, and community library Art History and Architectural Studies collections.

No comments about Gregory Ain: The Modern Home as Social Commentary (Architecture).

3 comments about Design Hotels Yearbook 2008.

1. This is an excellent resource for those interested in hotel design. Has a large collection of great photographs as well as comments and ideas by designers involved in the "future" of the hospitality industry.



2. I ordered a new book, but the book I got looks a used one.
   Even though it is acturally a "new" book, the book is technically too worn out and even some part of a page is torn.
   
   I was almost close to return the book.



3. It is probably the best publishing of trends in hotel design today. It is a must on table of every hotel designer, architect and developer.